Odette at the Museum

Singapore, January 2016 – Mr. King and I are still exploring the restaurants at the recently opened National Gallery. This time, our culinary adventures took us to Odette (Two Michelin stars in July 2016, #9 of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant 2017), a Modern French restaurant with award-winning chef, Julien Royer at its helm. Prior to establishing his own restaurant named for his grandmother (Odette), Julien Royer was at Jaan in Singapore, where he won the #11 place on Asia’s Best Restaurant 2015 list.

Who better to describe the culinary experience then Chef Julien Royer in his own words – “We hope to make Odette an honest and welcoming experience for everyone. This is where every ingredient has its place and purpose, and is treated with the utmost care to highlight its purest flavours. Beyond creating signature dishes, it is our passion to source for the very best produce to underscore our cuisine.”

The interior design is elegant and light, reflecting the style of Royer’s modern cuisine. “A key feature is the glass-enclosed kitchen, where diners have the opportunity to witness the chefs at work, reflecting the openness and honesty of Odette that is central to the entire dining experience.”

Mr. King and I were seated at one of the tables facing the glass-enclosed kitchen. We enjoyed watching the chefs at work!

The menu comprises of either – 6 or 8 courses tasting menu. There is even a vegetarian menu. Every course was meticulously prepared.

One of the Amuse Bouche was “deconstructed”; hence the server prepared it right on our plate (or if you prefer, inside your hand).

Chef Royer’s smoked egg was a signature dish of his at Jaan. At Odette, he created another version of the smoked organic egg. This is probably the dish that everyone remembers after dining at Odette since the presentation is very dramatic.

One of the nicest touches was that Chef Royer personally served and explained about the two dishes – Heirloom Beetroot and Confit Aquitaine Trout – to us.

For me, I especially enjoyed Royer’s version of lemon meringue (without the pie) – on a stick and the lemon custard tasted more like lemon ice!

The Michelin Guide announced that the launch of its first ever guide to Singapore in 2016. Mr. King and I suspect that Odette will certainly be on that list (our guess 3 stars!). In any case, with or without the stars, Odette is a must-try culinary experience.

Mr. King and I were very impressed with the food and service. For lunch (click here for my ladies’ lunch there), Odette offers either a 4-course or 6-course tasting menu. Maybe worth another visit to the museum soon!